Is Your iPhone 4 Camera Spying On You?

Disturbing reports come out of the Apple Discussion forums point to some odd goings on courtesy of Apple’s FaceTime equipped iPhone 4. According to reports, the camera may be taking photos of us without our knowledge.

If a couple of discussion board posters are to be believed, the issue was brought to light when a previously unknown photo popped up during a FaceTime call. By unknown, we mean the user says they didn’t take it. Obvious, if probably incorrect assumption later and we’re told the iPhone camera has a mind of its own.

My boyfriend and I have both recently experienced this problem several times – when one of us is calling the other via FaceTime, an old picture freezes on our screen, while the person receiving the call only sees a black screen. It’s kind of creepy, because it brought up photos of both of us at work, where I have used FaceTime a few times but he never has. We’re just wondering how/why this is happening, and if there is a fix. It’s not terribly inconvenient, but it’s definitely unsettling, where is seems that even if we haven’t taken a picture or used FaceTime, the camera is keeping images. If anyone else is experiencing this, we’d love feedback. Thanks!

While a little odd, we’re not sure this warrants the mass hysteria it’s almost guaranteed to cause. For starters, it appears the offending photo is only shown on the original iPhone – no pictures have been transmitted to a 3rd party. Granted it’s strange the users claim to have never taken the photos themselves, it wouldn’t be the first time someone has taken a picture with a smartphone and not known. Hell, we all keep pocket-dialing people don’t we?

Also a possibility is the good old bug. It’s quite likely an iOS glitch could be causing the camera to take a snapshot or hold a buffer’s worth of video when the camera app is launched and this is subsequently not getting purged correctly. If this is the case, then it is likely going to be patched in the upcoming iOS 4.3.2 release.

Anything is possible, and we’re not quite sure the ‘Apple is spying on us, best get the tinfoil hats out’ brigade are right on the money with this one.